Method of obtaining registration between releasably fastened members



Jan. 19, 1965 o. s. STOLLMAN METHOD OF OBTAINING REGISTRATION BETWEEN RELEASABLY FASTENED MEMBERS Filed April 19. 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Q 3,165,827 NETHGD F GBTAENENG REGESTRATIGN BE- TWEEN RELEASABLY FASTENED MEh EERS Oscar S. Stollman, 40 S. Deer Park Drive, Highiand Far-k, Ill. Filed Apr. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 184,162 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-445) This invention relates to carrying cases, and particularly, to the method of assembling releasably secured cooperating frame members so that the frames and fastening mechanisms secured thereto are in perfect registration.

Portable luggage and cases such as are used for typewriters, musical instruments, dictating machines, as examples, are made in halves that are hinged together in the back and fastened in the front by a lock or latch mechanism. Heretofore, the cooperating portions of the fastening means for connecting the halves together were gen-,

erally secured to the exterior surface of the case body or valance sections after the body portion of the case has been constructed, but before it has been finally assembled. A portion of the cooperating fastening means is secured to each half of the case, and the two portions of the fastening means are aligned as closely as possible to obtain proper registration therebetween.

The term valance is a word of art and as used here refers to mating border sections which are secured to the adjacent wall portions of the case halves. In illustrative embodiment of the invention described in the instant application, the valance sections are male and female members made of extruded aluminum.

The foregoing procedure involves a number of manual operations and is susceptible to possible misalignment of the valance sections and fastening means which could cause damage and subsequent costly replacement of parts if perfect registration is not obtained. This method of as sembly is presently being used with exteriorly mounted latch or locking means. This is possible since the exterior location of the fastening means permits the assembler to visually align the cooperating fastening means. However, such a method of assembly still gives rise to the possibility that when the case is fastened together, the fastening means will not be in perfect alignment. The problem of accurately lining up the cooperating fastening means becomes particularly acute when the fastening means are located within openings in the abutting case walls or valance sections secured to the case halves being joined together. This results from the fact that the assembler is not able to see clearly all parts of the cooperating fastening means during the assembling operation. In such a situation, if the valance sections and fastening means are not in perfect registration, the valance sections may have to be removed from the case to facilitate adjustment or possible replacement of the fastening means or valance sections.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a method whereby perfect registration of interengageable valance sections and the fastening means for securing the sections together is easily obtained. In the accompanying drawings, there are illustrated, as an embodiment of the invention, the various steps taken when assembling a valance for a carrying case by the method disclosed herein. It should be understood that the embodiment illustrated is merely intended to be illustrative since the method of the present invention can be utilized wherever it is desired to provide perfectly registered frames or valance sections that are to be releasably secured together in some manner such as by a perfectly aligned latching or locking mechanism.

Generally speaking, the invention is practiced by placing the interfitting valance sections in registration and then securing them together so they will stay in registration during the forming process'in which they are shaped to conform to the case with which they are to be used. If the sections are to be latched or locked together, they are cut away to provide aligned openings for a latching or locking mechanism that is secured within the respective valance sections and engaged prior to the forming process. This method of assembly insures that all portions of the sections and the latching or locking mechanisms, if they are used, will be in perfect registration after they are secured to a case.

The invention will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portable case to which the invention is applied;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective, exploded View of two cooperable valance sections prior to their being interengaged and formed;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the cooperating Valance sections in the latched position;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the valance formed to a desired shape to cooperate with a portion of a case which is also shown;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the latching mechanisms secured in place in the two valance sections; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the cooperating valance sections and the case walls to which it is secured.

The case 1, shown in FIGURE 1, is merely illustrative of various types and shapes of cases to which the present invention can be applied. The case is made in two halves 1A, 1B which are hinged together on the bottom (not shown) and releasably fastened together adjacent the handle portion 1C. The particular fastening means used is secured to the valance sections and maybe either a locking device or a latching mechanism, the details of which are not critical.

In the drawings, for the purposes of illustration only, there is disclosed a latcln'ng mechanism that is secured to cooperating valance sections 2, 3 in the manner hereinafter described.

The arrangement disclosed in the drawings relates to groove 3A defined by valance section 3, and a longitudi-- nally extending channel 20 into which extends the wall portion of the case half 1A. The valance section 2 and adjacent case wall are secured together by lip 2D which is crimped into the undersurface of the case body portion 1A. Valance section 3 also includes a channel section 3C which receives the wall portion of case half 13 and a longitudinally extending lip 3D that engages said wall portion to interlock the case wall and valance section.

The present invention is not limited to a particular fastening means since it is equally applicable to any of a number of latching or locking mechanisms. These mechanisms can be secured to the outer walls of the valance sections or disposed within aligned openings cut into the valance.

Referring to FIGURE 5, there is illustrated a crosssectional view of an assembly within which a latching means is disposed in aligned openings in the cooperating valance sections 2, 3. This view is merely intended to show the overall relationships between the primary components of a latching mechanism and there is no attempt made to show all of the details.

The details of the particular fastening means shown in the drawing are set forth in my application Serial No. 104,161, filed April 19, 1961, now abandoned. As generally disclosed in FIGURE 5, the latching mechanism includes a latch housing 4 secured within the male valance section 2 by rivets 5. This is accomplished by cutting an opening 23 in section 2 and locating the latch housing therein. Located in the latch housing is a spring biased latch plate (not shown) which engages the arms of a catch 7 to latch the valance sections together. The catch 7 is secured within an opening 3B in valance section 3, which is aligned with opening 28 in section 2. The catch 7 is disengaged from the latch housing 4 and associated latch plate by a button 6 which can be moved to a position Where catch 7 can be withdrawn from latch housing 4.

The method covered by this invention obtains perfect registration between cooperating valance sections by placing the, sections in interengaging relationship before they are formed and maintaining the registrating relationship during the forming process." t this time, any differences between the sections, which are extruded and not produced with any degree of precision, can be compensated for by making suitable adjustments. This procedure insures alignment between the valance sections when they are brought into engagement with each other after they are secured to the walls of the case. Ifthe valance sections are to be locked or latched into position, the fastening means to be used can be incorporated into the valance sections and brought into fastening engagement before the sections are shaped to insure that perfect registration between the fastening means will also be obtained. Thus, by using the novel method disclosed in this application during the assembly of portable cases using extruded aluminum valance sections or other similar frame members, a case can be assembled with the assurance that the desired condition of perfect registration between the valance sections and fastening means will be obtained.

The steps encompassed by this invention consist of securing one portion of a fastening means such as the latch housing 4- to the valance section 2, securing the mating portion of a fastening means such as the catch to the valance section 3, and connecting them together, as shown in FIGURE 3. The valance formed thereby is maintained in registration and then shaped in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 to fit the case with which it is to be used. The Wall portions of the case halves 1A, 1B are disposed in channel sections 2C, BC, respectively, and secured therein by crimping.

Thus, it can be seen that there isprovided a method whereby cooperating valance sections and fastening means are assembled in a manner which will insure that they will be in perfect registration when they are brought into cooperating relationship. While the particular fastening means illustrated are disposed within the valance sections, it is obvious that the method disclosed herein could be practiced where the locking or latching means were secured to the outside of the frame members being formed.

Also, the invention is not limited to use with valance sections or other cooperating members that are fastened together, since the method could be used to insure registration between cooperating molding or frame members of other designs which are shaped to conform to the cenfiguration of other elements to which the members are to be attached.

Other equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of obtaining registration of a pair of generally straight, plastically deformable and interengageable valance sections having a catch secured to one valance section and a latch mechanism secured to a cooperating valance section comprising securing the cat-ch and latch inside their respective sections, latching the valance sections, and bending both sections of the valance together to conform to the configuration of the case with which it is to be used to insure registration between the sections of the case during opening and closing thereof.

2. The method of making a valance assembly for cases that includes interengaging aligned registered valance sections'that are fastened together and which comprises the steps of securing cooperating fastening means to a pair of corresponding generally straight, plastically deformable valance sections, fastening the valance sections in aligned registration with each other, and bending the sections of the valance together to conform to the configuration of the case with which it is to be used to insure registration between the cooperating sections of the case during opening and closing thereof.

3. The method of insuring the registration of interengaging, plastically deformable frame members that are latched together in final assembled relationship including the steps of first securing cooperating latch means to said pair of members to be releasably interconnected, then latching the members together, and thcreafter bending the members to the desired configuration.

4. The method of aligning interengageable male and female plastically deformable support frame members and fastening means connected to said members, comprising first securing cooperating fastening means within the male and female members, then fastening the members together, and thereafter bending the support members to form a frame of desired shape.

References flirted in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 1,552,748 Kopplinger Sept. 8, 1925 1,789,137 Fitch Tan. 13, 1931 2,243,522 Conliiin May 27, 1941 2,672,224 Horowitz Mar. 16, 1954 2,758,682 Shwayder Aug. 14, 1956 2,804,681 Brueclrner Sept. 3, 1957 

1. THE METHOD OF OBTAINING REGISTRATION OF A PAIR OF GENERALLY STRAIGHT, PLASTICALLY DEFORMABLE AND INTERENGAGEABLE VALANCE SECTIONS HAVING A CATCH SECURED TO ONE VALANCE SECTION AND A LATCH MECHANISM SECURED TO A COOPERATING VALANCE SECTION COMPRISING SECURING THE CATCH AND LATCH INSIDE THEIR RESPECTIVE SECTIONS, LATCHING THE VALANCE SECTIONS, AND BENDING BOTH SECTIONS OF THE VALANCE TOGETHER TO CONFORM TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE CASE WITH WHICH IT IS TO BE USED TO INSURE REGISTRATION BETWEEN THE SECTIONS OF THE CASE DURING OPENING AND CLOSING THEREOF. 